Seres Therapeutics: Here We Go Again

Keith Williams
8.79K Followers

Summary

  • The microbiome has arrived as a significant area of opportunity for new treatments of infectious and chronic conditions. While the importance of the microbiome is clear, validated products remain elusive.
  • Seres Therapeutics is close to achieving FDA approval of SER-109 for preventing recurrence of C. difficile infection. This would be the first microbiome product approved by the FDA.
  • Nestle is confident about SER-109; it acquired US & Canadian rights to achieve global rights to market these products. Nestle paid $175 million (and more coming) for these rights.
  • The share price crashed when SER-287 failed in an Ulcerative Colitis trial; a new trial with SER-301 is planned.
  • Seres has a big (and opaque) cash burn, but it is well funded to achieve SER-109 approval. If that doesn’t happen, all bets are off.
The human Microbiome, genetic material of all the microbes that live on and inside the human body.
Design Cells/iStock via Getty Images

Nine months ago I wrote that Seres Therapeutics (NASDAQ:MCRB) was back in the game. As often happens in biotech investing the big increase in early August 2020, from $4.40 to $28 on good results from its ECOSPOR III study of SER-109 on

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8.79K Followers
Keith began his career as a research scientist (developmental biology, biochemistry, molecular biology) at the Australian National University, University of Oxford (UK), the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry (Munich, Germany) and finally Macquarie University (Sydney) where he held a Chair in Biology and established the Centre for Analytical Biotechnology. Pioneering the area of proteomics (with Marc Wilkins in his group coining the term), Keith established the world’s first government-funded Major National Proteomics Facility (Australian Proteome Analysis Facility) which was involved with industrialising protein science. Keith left academe with his team to found Proteome Systems Ltd in 1999 to commercialise proteomics. The company had a strong focus on intellectual property, engineering/technology and bioinformatics. As CEO he led the company to ASX listing in 2004. Since 2005 Keith has been involved in new business development in biotech, e-health and other emerging technologies. Keith sees climate change and sustainable development as a major issue for humankind and also a major business disruptor/risk and opportunity. Keith holds a Bachelor Agr Science from the University of Melbourne and a PhD from the Australian National University. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering and received an AM (Member of the Order of Australia) for services to the Biotechnology Industry. He has received various industry awards including an Innovation Hero Medal from the Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering. With 300 scientific papers and many patents written, Keith has a clear view of innovation in the Biotechnology and Climate/Renewable Energy space. He is not a financial advisor but his perspective adds relevance to decision-making concerning feasibility and investment in technology innovation.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of MCRB either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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